My article published in Eurasia Review yesterday (March 9, 2013) has thrown some lights on how we are suffering in the world that is both leaderless and defenseless. It also gives some evidences and few suggestions that can help us to manage with.

1. SURVIVAL IN A LEADERLESS AND
DEFENSELESS WORLD
Keshav Prasad Bhattarai
Let us make a fleeting look at some of the pressing global challenges of our time.
According to a United Nations report, about five percent of total Syrian population – that becomes
at least one million, has fled the country and only since last January, numbers of such people are
around 4000,000. In its two years long conflict, more than 70,000 people have been killed. In a
recent report, UNICEF says that because of the conflict, Syrian educational system has collapsed.
One fifth of the schools are damaged from fighting, while others are being used as shelters for
civilians who have been displaced by the conflict. Numbers of internally displaced people have
crossed 2 million. About 2 million people are estimated to be internally displaced.
Colin H. Kahl, Melissa G. Dalton, and Matthew Irvine in a study conducted for Center for a New
American Security (CNAS), has presumed that Saudi Arabia would respond to Iran’s acquisition of
nuclear weapons by developing its own bomb or illicitly receiving it from its close ally Pakistan. A
marriage between Saudi money and Pakistani nuclear weapon program would create a disturbing
global geo-political situation involving major nuclear weapon countries like USA, Russia, China, and
inevitably India- Pakistan’s immediate rival. If a small-scale nuclear war erupts between India and
Pakistan, even by mistake, experts say it would be the end of human civilization.
In its response to Iranian nuclear program, Israel has issued repeated claim that it would attack
against Iranian nuclear facility, if the world community fails to restrain Iran. Given that Israel,
Iran, and Saudi Arabia have nuclear weapons then it would be impossible to stop Egypt, Libya, and
Turkey to own these weapons.
Seldom in history was there a small and weak country like North Korea that has been issuing
continued threats to a most powerful country - United States of America and has warned that it
would hit the world’s lone super power with its nuclear weapon.
Despite a new U.S., led push for stricter UN sponsored sanctions against its third nuclear
test; followed by a new U.S. – South Korea military drill beginning from the beginning of
March, North Korea yesterday, formally announced the annulment of the 1953 cease-fire
that ended the Korean War (1950-53) and withdrew from all the non-aggression pacts with the
South.
Responding to North’s threat, a South Korean army General Kim Yong-hyun said that "If North
Korea conducts any provocations that threaten the life and safety of South Koreans then it should
be clear there will be strong and decisive punishment not only against the source of the aggression
and its support forces, but also the commanding element".
On the other hand, the world’s second and third largest economy – China and Japan have engaged in
a fresh round of diatribe over movements of their warships near a disputed group of tiny islets
known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan.

2. This has fueled the tensions that have lasted for months between the two countries. Both China
and Japan have repeatedly avowed to protect the territorial integrity. In addition it has been
reported that both the countries have dispatched their warships with guided missiles destroyer and
they are located at a distance of their eye sights. If the situation goes more tensed and dangerous,
United States, by a treaty with Japan, is bound to join the fray that any time may turn into a global
conflict. However, it is assumed that neither of them wants tensions in their relation that can
escalate into a war.
Giving reference to the report of World Economic Forum Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich have
stated that more than “870 million people are now hungry, and more are at risk from climate events
and price spikes”. They have further, stated that by 2050 we will have other 2.5 billion populations
that would make some 9.5 billion. When at current situation, we have not been able to feed 870
million people and millions annually die of malnutrition, it would not be an easy task to feed the
other 35 percent increase. More population means more food, more water, and more land for
farming. In addition, farming as a “major emitter of greenhouse gases, accelerates climate change”.
This in consequence, would cause groundwater over pumping, seawater seeping and land salinity.
This will have forced us to live with soil deterioration, reduced food supply, loss of ecological
balance and ever-rising global toxicity.
On Mar 2, 2013, Reuters reported that Al Qaeda’s most active branch in the Arabian Peninsula -
AQAP, has released an English-language magazine with instructions for would-be militants on how to
torch parked cars and cause traffic accidents.
The magazine has also warned France to withdraw from Mali and has listed 11 public figures in the
West, including author Salman Rushdie, Dutch politician Geert Wilders, Canadian-Somalian activist
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and U.S. pastor Terry Jones. It is feared that Al Qaeda based in Yemen – the most
impoverished and lawless country in the Middle East that also a tri-juncture of three continents-
Asia, Europe and Africa, can pose far greater threat to the global peace and order than from
Afghanistan
Whenever and wherever there is poverty- there is crime, violence and war. Wherever there is
ignorance – there is exploitation, domination, and deprivation. When people fail to elect good
leaders, demand good policies, and create good and well functional institutions to represent them –
they have to live with all those vices, as if they are born with them.
It is simple with bad leaders, bad policies, bad institutions, and bad voters – we have bad time for
us. Similar is the case with bad neighbors, bad powers, and bad weapons.
CRISIS IN THE LAND OF GREAT DREAM AND DEMOCRACY: UNITED STATES
AND EUROPE
The global financial crisis that began in 2008 has given ways to greater political crisis involving
Europe - the world’s most powerful economic and political union – European Union.

3. Europe for more than two centuries has been the most influential global economic and political
power. Although since the end of Second World War, its military influence has diminished largely,
its economic and political credence has been much bigger and stronger only next to United States.
After the meteoric rise of China and the financial crisis that began in 2008, Europe has lost bigger
part of its global influence. The crisis has not been limited to its global posture it has created deep
divisions among its member countries as well.
German President Joachim Gauck, speaking on the prospects for the European idea on February 22,
acknowledged that the largest and most powerful democratic grouping of the world has been leaving
too many people a feeling of powerlessness and voicelessness.
According to President Gauck, crisis of confidence among members is not limited to its economic
dimension. Growing inequality among member states is generating sense of unmistakable anger, and
even increasing the risk of national humiliation, the president of the largest economy of Europe and
fourth of the world, bluntly admitted.
Understandably, Europe as a political project initially envisioned by the great French Economist and
diplomat - Jean Monnet in 1950, is demonstrating not a mere economic crisis but much riskier crisis
of confidence among them.
Nobel laureate and one of the world’s most renowned economists Joseph E. Stiglitz has recently
written a provocative article in Project Syndicate. Stating the unresolved fundamental
contradictions in Euro Zone countries and perilous political divisions among them, Stiglitz presents
a sordid picture that reflects, “A deep lack of solidarity”. According to him, a senior most
government official of a northern European country “did not even put down his fork when
interrupted by an earnest dinner companion who pointed out that many Spaniards now eat out of
garbage cans”. The cool response the Northern official made was that they “should have reformed
earlier”, and “continued to eat his steak”
On the other hand, the world’s single most powerful economic, military, and political power – United
States has exposed an unprecedented political division within it. At a time of great political
upheaval and economic crisis, its political leaders have been playing kind of blame game that is
common in emerging democracies. This has not only affected its global stature but also its ability
to lead the world’s democratic practices and economic freedom of people that has emancipated
millions of people from poverty and deprivation.
A testimony submitted before the House Armed Service Committee of the US Congress discloses
that if the burgeoning economic crisis continues and the “defense budget is held constant in real
terms and personnel costs continue to rise at the same rate as the last decade, the entire defense
budget will be consumed by personnel accounts before the year 2040”.
It has quoted a retired Major General Arnold Punaro who has said that “We’re on the path in the
Department of Defense to turn it into a benefits company that may occasionally kill a terrorist.”
The much-debated US defense budget sequestration borne out of its economic crisis will have
decisive impact upon its critical defense commitments appended by its several bilateral and
multilateral alliances worldwide.

4. Besides, America has entered into a most tumultuous time of domestic political division after
Vietnam War. In a period of seemingly unending international turmoil, Americans are fighting
against the very reason that has been their identity since their birth as a nation.
Indubitably, a weakened Europe and a debilitated United States will have a defining impact upon a
global order that has created the longest period of peace, stability, and mountains of prosperity –
much more than human society accumulated in all the previous period combined.
It is plainly simple and clear. If America has problem, Europe has problem if Japan, China, India,
Nepal, Afghanistan, or Somalia have problems unmistakably the problems comes with their leaders,
with their policies and with their institutions. Unfortunately, with many countries, it also comes
with bad neighbors and bad powers.
A LEADERLESS AND DEFENSELESS WORLD
We had both very good times and very bad times in past. When we had leaders with good
knowledge and good intentions, we had good times and some other times it was opposite. We
created institutions to make them good, offer them good advices, and work with good intentions.
Again, people themselves took powers to elect good leaders, create good institutions, and make
them accountable.
With our times now, perhaps we have failed to our job – from leaders to common people. Perhaps,
never in human history was the world so leaderless and hence defenseless.
We have amassed unlimited power, gained infinite prosperity and have acquired the largest stock of
most dreaded weapons system in our arsenals. Most importantly, we have accumulated enormous
amount of advanced knowledge and skills that can transform the world into a safe and pleasant
place for all. We have everything with us that we need to make our life better and give better
future to our posterity. But, most unfortunately, we do have no leaders to lead us for that.
Thus, obviously, most of the countries, communities and the world as well, have exhibited that they
have no leaders and hence all the great promises and possibilities that the 21st Century has
unfolded to the whole humanity, seems failing to us. The unbound opportunities that the last
decade of 20th Century had unfurled upon us have fallen short with the first decade of Twenty
first Century.
More terrible is the absence of credible and competent leaders to institute a global order binding
to all. In addition, people in both developed and developing countries are forced to live in a period
of great uncertainty and insecurity. For huge majority, the time to come may turn into a period
characterized by chaos and anarchy. In short, the World has failed to live with hope and
expectations of millions of people as they have no leaders to help them realize that there are some
one whom they can trust for their future. The country and communities have miserably been
unsuccessful to find leaders to lead the hope, aspirations, and strengths of their people but their
weaknesses.

5. We are missing leaders, but band of politicos have emerged who could enjoy the glamour of their
positions, seek and ensure their benefits from it and run politics as the most profiteering
profession. Lead people towards a global common good by means of politics have become a bygone
story. In result, the massive stock of knowledge, technical knowhow and unparallel reserve of human
energy and natural resources have found no attendants.
The world somehow could manage to live with World Wars and Cold War because there was
leadership. The disintegration of Soviet Union was handled aptly and wisely in some way, because
there was leadership. Our leadership in politics, economics, and in science and technology made us
learn that poverty - the most tragic situation that existed for centuries can be eliminated. And,
over some 600 million people were freed from poverty within a period of just 30 years – the single
greatest human achievement since the beginning of history. Later when we discovered that most of
the diseases and health problem that we were living and are living with are our own creations, so can
be ended - gave us a new hope and confidence. The greatest learning we achieved in the last few
years was that nothing others than the ignorance of the people and absence of honest and visionary
leaders are the only source of poverty, diseases, violence, natural imbalances, social insecurity, and
political instability. This gave us new power and we created Arab Spring.
Nevertheless, time has become more chilling and challenging. Indubitably, with good
leaders times can become more promising. However, the single misfortune we are living
with is that even at global level we are living without credible leaderships that can inspire
the global citizens cope with the challenges and gain ability to subsist with the time that
was never so gifted.
This has left us – mainly our young generation succumb to the utter frustration and
despair. This, in the words of U.S. president Barrack Obama “can rot a society from
within.” When a society decays this way, ultimately it turns out to be a breeding ground
for criminality, violence, and terrorism in a cyclic order.
LEADERSHIP PROMOTION, MOTIVATION, AND NOBEL PRIZE FOR PEACE 2009
AND 2012
The world is leaderless and therefore is defense less. Internal political mismanagement and crisis
of confidence within the border and across it have posed greatest challenges to national security of
many countries --from most powerful to weakest ones. A weak, poor, and isolated country from
North Korea to Islamic radical groups anywhere in the world and a computer - hacker from a slum
area or a huge military complex in any part can pose tremendous challenge to American, Chinese,
Indian or European security.
A weak America is not an answer. In a globalized world neither a weakened and submissive China,
India, Russia can provide better security to United States. NATO and the Americans did not fight
their wars with Soviet Union or China but they have been fighting their wars in Afghanistan – one
of the weakest and poorest countries of the world. France, Britain, and United States fought their
war in Libya. Recently, France fought another war in Mali - a failing African country. It has been

6. mentioned earlier not a powerful China but a small, weak, and poor country – North Korea has been
issuing threats to United States.
Problems lie with the crisis of leadership. Enhancing the quality of leadership, building their
credibility, and strengthening their capacity and confidence to confront the problems of our time,
is perhaps the greatest challenge of present day world order.
Surprisingly, crisis of leadership and their credibility gap is not limited to some smaller developing
countries. It is equally challenging to great powers like United States, Russia, China, and India. An
inspired and highly confident leader in these countries can change the course of global history and
can make bold attempts to face the major challenges we are living with.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee within some of its limitation has been doing splendid job in
inspiring and encouraging promising leaders both in developing and developed countries. Its decision
to award Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Barrack Obama (2009) and European Union (2012)
might have “devalued” its recognition to some extent but by other count, it was remarkable one.
Undoubtedly, Nobel Committee has a mission and to find the world’s most powerful person to serve
its global mission of peace and development and encourage him to keep on, is itself a great thing.
Nobel Committee did not want to miss this opportunity and announced it in favor of President
Obama.
A prize that was being awarded for some lifetime achievements of some legendary figures, a prize
that even missed the great person like Mahatma Gandhi, a prize that parallels to none in its dignity
and eminence, was formally announced to be awarded to Barrack Obama only after eight months in
office. More surprisingly, he was chosen for the greatest award of the Earth just 12 days after
taking office. As the news reached to White House, it was something like bolt from a blue and the
President checked if it was April 1.
Including the iconic Polish leader Lech Walesa, who won the same prize in 1983, many claimed it
was “too early” and “premature” decision. In response, Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjoern
Jagland said that it could be too late if they respond “three years from now”. It meant a lot. The
Nobel Committee said President Obama deserved it for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen
international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. Obama’s vocal commitment for a world
without nuclear weapons was specially noted. Moreover, it said Obama as President has “created a
new climate in international politics”. “Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position” and
dialogues and negotiations are “preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult
international conflicts”.
It further elaborated Obama’s vision of a “world free from nuclear arms” - powerful stimulation to
disarmament and arms control negotiations and stronger commitment to meet “the great climatic
challenges the world is confronting” including strengthening democracy and human rights.
While establishing further justification for the Noble Committee’s decision, Jagland explained
that Obama was awarded not for any tangible achievement but he succeeded in bringing the great
change in the perception of world community vis-à-vis United States and its implications worldwide.

7. According to NBC News Nobel officials admitted that they made their stunning pick to build
“momentum behind Obama's initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world
and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism”.
In short the Nobel Committee wanted Obama ensure speedy force withdrawal from Iraq and
Afghanistan, work hard mainly for nuclear disarmament, strongly committal to fight climate change,
refrain from military intervention especially in an Iraq like situation and find some way out to calm
down the resentment of Muslim community against America and West. They wanted to inspire
Obama move fast and build his confidence and credibility as a global leader, so had it reached in
this decision in an unusual way.
. . . . AND A BETTER WORLD WITH BETTER LEADERS IS EVERYONE’S
INDIVIDUAL PROJECT
Similar to its Obama mission, Norwegian Nobel Committee with its strong message tried to boost
the morale of European Community as a single largest political and economic union while suffering
from its worst days since it was established.
Nobel Committee Chairman quoted Jean Monet who had said that nothing can be achieved without
human beings but nothing becomes permanent without institutions and stressed the role of EU as an
institution in transforming a continent of many century long wars to a continent of long peace and
amity.
Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, and Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the
European Commission, in a joint statement said the prize as the strongest possible recognition of
the deep political motives behind the EU to shape the continent as a zone of peace and prosperity.
To make this world better for all is not some other’s responsibility. Neither is it the job of some
UN agencies, other INGOs, governments’ or leaders’. It is everyone’s project. Not a single person
can shrink or flee from it.
Many people and organizations are doing right things around us. They need our support – at least
some recognition from us. Few words of honest admiration may give them tremendous
encouragement. If we discuss about their work and commend them, they and the society where they
work become an inspired community to do more and meaningful. Perhaps it was the best logic behind
Norwegian Committee’s decision to award Nobel Prize to Obama and EU.
There are people and organizations that are doing bad things and spoiling our society and whole
world. They need to be condemned and opposed, if not they will be doing more harm to our family,
society, the humanity and us. If they are tolerated, they will do more bad and instead will
discourage and try to eliminate those doing good for us.
For those who are doing good need help, support and encouragement. Without this, they cannot
survive. But when it is the case of bad people and bad things if we just sit idle, say nothing and
tolerate them, they will grow more, expand and gobble up everything that is good around us.

8. In any part of the world, whoever is doing good things - are our leaders. They are doing our jobs.
Therefore, they must be supported, helped, and honored at least with few words. That is the
beginning of our journey for a better world – where we all can be assured of our defense and well-
being. This will help us find good leaders from local to global level and serve our purpose
substantively.
Obviously, that person who cannot do this does not deserve to demand a good thing, fair treatment
fine society for him, his family, and community. Terribly, by doing this s/he ignores the basics of
survival in a most difficult time.
kpbnepal@gmail.com
Eurasia Review March 9, 2013
www.eurasiareview.com/author/keshav-prasad-bhattarai/